


Hungry Like The Wolf

by MeanButKind



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: AU, All Human, American Psycho vibes, BAMF Bonnie Bennett, Bonnie being the center of attention for once, Bonnie is Red, Canon-Typical Violence, Damon Salvatore is a menace, Dark, Elena Gilbert Bashing, F/M, Kai is The Big Bad Wolf, Kai is as creepy as ever, Kai is particularly unhinged, Minor Bonnie Bennett/Jeremy Gilbert, Minor Elena Gilbert/Damon Salvatore, Minor supportive Lucy Bennett, Multi, Not Canon Compliant, Obsession, Stalking, Yes Jeremy is in this but dont worry I hate Beremy and its always Bonkai endgame round these parts, except a bit less murdery, general deviousness, if you get that reference shout out to you, little red riding hood trope, obviously, sneaking and hiding and sneaking around, sorta - Freeform, surprises in store
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 15:15:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29280561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeanButKind/pseuds/MeanButKind
Summary: Kai is a predator and he’s never stalked prey like Bonnie.
Relationships: Bonnie Bennett/Jeremy Gilbert, Bonnie Bennett/Malachai "Kai" Parker
Comments: 16
Kudos: 14





	1. Stalked in the Forest Too Close to Hide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kai is minding his own business when his world is turned upside down. Cat meets mouse. And the chase begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I thought about a longer disclaimer for this fic, but honestly… I've read darker fics than this by far.
> 
> Also, like let's consider the source material- In canon Kai murders all his kid siblings, clearly enjoys it, then later on murders his pregnant sister and remaining family gleefully at her wedding. In the Prison World he stalks Bonnie and Damon for months so…yea…Boy is a freak. Which I'm not even complaining about because lmao look at my activity on here, clearly I love that freaky shit. Anyway, there is still a disclaimer, because I think that's important, it's just not as extensive as it originally was. Anyway…
> 
> DISCLAIMER: Stalking is BAD! This fic is dark and it works by revolving around elements of FANTASY. Seriously though, this is a work of fiction- stalking is very serious, this is just an exploration of dark themes. Okay? Cool.
> 
> Without further ado….

* * *

_'One day, maybe next week...I'm gonna meet ya, I'm gonna meet ya, I'll meet ya'_

* * *

He's always been obsessive.

But to say he was a _stalker_ wasn't exactly right; he hadn't ever stalked anyone, not really.

 _Sure_ , he researched a crush here and there, hacked an account or two- but it was the 21st century, who hadn't? It wasn't like he was watching people through their webcams or stealing their banking info, he wasn't a menace. Kai just considered himself tech-savvy, no more than any other young red-blooded American male. But he never followed a woman around town, watching her every move, sniffing after her like some crazed loon.

Until now that is.

He spotted her casually, and completely by chance, a random spring afternoon while running errands on his lunch break. She was coming out of a kitschy little coffee shop, friend in tow. Instantly he locked onto her. It was as if he was seeing for the first time. Despite his romantic history he cannot recall ever having felt such an instantaneous and all-consuming attraction.

No one could say he was hard up for dates. Not looking how he did and with the life he had. A 6'4, athletic, oral surgeon, with a full head of hair and perfect, if not slightly impish, smile? Who drove a freaking Porsche and vacationed in the Alps every winter? Experience was something he had plenty of. Nothing ever lasted, though, no one ever stuck. Usually, they got scared when he got too intense or his darker proclivities reared their head. If things didn't sort themselves out naturally his sexual fantasies soon did. How was he to help his hard-wiring? What was wrong with a little (or a lot) of kinky sex? It didn't make sense to him that just because he was a fan of some taboo shit that he should suffer through an endless string of short-term relationships.

That's how it always went- either he got bored or they got scared. It didn't matter to him which came first. More than once he had been compared to Patrick Bateman, which he honestly considered flattering. Sure, he was a completely unhinged maniac with a penchant for murder and mayhem, but the dude had an excellent skincare routine and a shredded body.

Okay, so, he lied when he said he never sniffed after a skirt before, he had followed a handful over the years, but after a week or so he would inevitably fall back. Realizing just how mundane they were quickly put him off. Most, he found, just were not that interesting.

This is not like any of those previous times. Not only does his attraction border on infatuation from the very outset, but he can already feel in his bones this one will be different.

He spots her with a brown-haired girl, by first glance the friend is a dud; can see from the way she flits around giggling and tossing her hair over her shoulder every time her counterpart speaks that she's the type to pretend she hates the spotlight only to act out when she's not the center of attention. How unoriginal.

The girl next to her though…

There is something about her; the way she carries herself, the way her eyes glance about the room, the way her lips curl around her laughter, the way she sips her drink. Already he is entranced. She opens her mouth, in light conversation with her friend, and he longs to hear her voice. Something has come over him, it is as if some strange magic is rewiring his brain in real-time.

So, 30 minutes later when the pair gather their things and head for the door, he decides it is time for a change of scenery too. He can't help it if his feet just _naturally_ happen to follow the trajectory the pair of women set. Was there really any harm in going to the same place as someone else? Not that he could see.

He calls the office and has his secretary cancel the rest of his appointments and gives her the rest of the day off, much to her delight. Kai feels no shame derailing his day to sneak after this woman. If he knows anything of attraction, it's that fortune favored the bold- you had to strike while the iron was hot and other various cliches like that. Just because they were corny did not make them less true.

A sappier human might call it 'love at first sight', but Kai has never been in love that he can recall. Which is fine because he didn't really believe he was capable of it anyway, nor did it appeal to him.

 _Lust_ , however, is something he was more than willing to risk it all for.

* * *

They end up at a bookstore- kitsch must be their theme for the day.

It's too small of a shop and the seating is too sparse for him to sit back and watch how he wants to. Fortunately, there is a park directly across the street. It's easy enough for him to blend into the throngs of people; parking himself on an empty bench he sets his gaze to the large front window of the shop across the road.

He watches the friends walk in and move separately throughout the store until the shorter girl heads to the counter near the front window. She speaks animatedly to the young girl at the counter before sitting down at a table soon joined by her pal.

She's ordered herself a large iced something and a healthy slice of what looks to be coffee cake and she tucks into it eagerly, clearly still hungry despite just having left a cafe.

He loved women who ate enthusiastically, ones who weren't afraid to shove food into their mouths in front of others, with appetites as voracious as his own. Her friend orders an unappetizing looking bran muffin and an even less appetizing looking green smoothie that she takes a selfie with then only picks at. Already he loathes her.

But back to more important things and more important people, namely the woman who has caused him to pursue her across town all day. She swallows the last bites of her cake and waits for her friend to stop pretending she's going to eat the muffin she ordered.

Once finished the two continue to move separately about the small store.

Her lithe hands trail down book spines as she browses shelves and, for the first time in his life, he wants to trade places with a book. If only to be so gently touched by her delicate hands. Kai tracks her movements as best he can until she disappears further into the shop.

They move from the book shop to a record store (where she purchases two vinyl LPs, _Supa Dupa Fly_ and _Channel Orange,_ only further confirming her brilliance) and from there finally to a bar.

He's getting restless just watching; how easy it would be to toss her over his shoulder and take her away.

He is tempted; just walk up, interrupt whatever nothing conversation she was having, say something like, "Sorry, _manners_ , I'm Kai." Flash a dazzling smile then extend his hand only to pick her up and carry her off. Already antsy and it's only been one day, not even- it's been like... six hours.

Rather than moseying into the bar to kidnap his new crush, he decides he will give it a week, no, two weeks.

If he's still interested in her after that then he will move forward. If she could keep his attention longer than anyone else, then it would be a sign.

The timer starts now.

* * *

14 days come and go.

But the fortnight does not pass easily, far from it, in fact. Each day makes him more rabid than the last. He practically burns with the nascent desire to know more about her. On the fourteenth day, he begins the task of digging, and at the end of his cursory dive into her, he finds himself even more enraptured.

He learns her name is Bonnie Bennett.

He knows that now thanks to good ole fashioned Facebook sleuthing. It was not hard to find her, searching the name of the coffee shop leads to their Facebook page, and from there he poured through their thousands of likes until he came across those familiar brilliant eyes of hers. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy.

She is from VA originally, has lived here her whole life.

Went to Whitmore, double majored in Africana and Occult Studies with a minor in philosophy. His babe is a smarty-pants.

Unfortunately, things run dry there. Her privacy settings make it so he'd have to be her 'friend' to access any detailed information beyond what he's seen so far. Kai is aching for even the smallest new morsel of information about her and that is when he realizes he's in deeper than he has ever been before. The intensity of his fixation is what prompts him to take searching to the next level.

* * *

Four hours later he knows much more about her: no siblings, a lonely-only, yet she doesn't seem spoiled or entitled. She worked at a design firm, which throws him considering her major. He figured she'd work somewhere like a museum or some local uni's equity and inclusion committee.

In high school, she was voted most likely to succeed by her classmates. Thank God Mystic Falls High digitally cataloged all their yearbooks, beginning the very year she graduated, how lucky was he?

What is most interesting is that, like him, her father was killed when she was a teenager. Pretty gruesomely too, if the article announcing his murder is anything to go by, but they can bond over that; two members of the Daddy-is-Dead club. Bonnie probably didn't hate her father or conspire to kill him though.

Pushing past murky thoughts of his own Daddy Dearest he thinks of her name again, Bonnie Bennet. It's nice, it's alliterative.

Bonnie Bennet- B.B.

Like a little child, he imagines their initials paired together.

_MP + BB= 4EVER_

Her name tastes so good he tries rolling it around his mouth, savoring the feeling of the muscles rounding out each syllable.

' _Bo_ -nnie'

'Bo- _nnie_ '

Then comes up with a litany of nicknames: Bon, Bonster, Bon-bon, Bonsai, Bonnie-kins, Bonnie-cakes, Bonnie-boo, Shnookums, Sweetie Pie, Munchkin. Which one would make her smile the brightest? In his mind, he watches as her face nearly splits from how she beams at his tenderness.

_Blech_

He shakes himself trying to rid his mind of whatever strange pathetically cutesy energy came over him to seriously consider all those awful pet names. Practically tastes the saccharine flavor on his tongue. Instead of chugging a bottle of Listerine to get the taste out of his mouth and shoving letter openers into his eyes to get the image out of his head, he indulges in a fantasy of him holding her head underwater as she flails and kicks to right himself. Instantly his pants tighten.

_Much better_

* * *

Her friend's name is Elena Gilbert.

Fortunately for him, her privacy settings aren't nearly as restrictive and he learns a lot from prowling her very public page, even finds her linked Instagram account and Twitter. Mostly she just posts selfies with food, or in front of pretty buildings, or takes picturesque group photos with who he assumes are her equally narcissistic friends. The Twitter is just your boring, run-of-the-mill business page; latest tweet from 2 years ago.

It's off to The Gram he goes.

The first particularly useful thing he finds from her Instagram is a picture of her with Bonnie and some dopey-looking brown-haired dipshit. Elena poses on one side of Bonnie and on the other, a man holds tightly to Bonnie's waist, too tightly. Quickly switching back to Facebook he pours through her friend's list until he finds the matching profile and confirms what he feared.

_Jeremy Gilbert._

Elena has a brother... and Bonnie has a boyfriend. Just his luck.

Because, _of course,_ she would be dating the brother of the dud girl he first saw her with; an entire family of dullards.

She needed to keep better company.

The portrait Ellie's account paints of their relationship is not good.

First of all, her photos look staged, which isn't really so bad considering the nature of social media, but it still makes him grit his teeth as he thumbs through her pics. Out of the 685 pics she's posted since making the account five years ago there is only one post that features Bonnie in the last 18 months, prior to that she's featured noticeably more. Around the same time Bonnie begins to appear less and less, an odd and sinister-looking man with black hair and blue eyes begins to appear more and more. Kai absently wonders if these two things are related, he makes a mental note to look up this skeevy-looking dude later.

For now, he focuses on the last upload that mentions Bonnie; a seemingly heartfelt post, clearly for Bonnie's birthday. In it, Elena praises Bonnie for being her friend since childhood, her best friend, her confidant, her 'rock'.

Elise paints a picture that suggests Bonnie has been the one person to tether her to the world in her darkest hours, yet there is no other sign of her on the entire page for almost two years? The brunette poses happily with the same vampire looking fuck who shows up again and again and again on her profile, but the one person who was there for her through thick in thin, who was so deeply connected to her family can't even get more than one measly self-aggrandizing shout out? Looking at the man with piercing eyes, it's clear from photos of the two of them that they were, or are, involved.

Had Elena traded her best friend for a boyfriend? That seemed to be the story her Instagram was telling.

_How fucking selfish._

He is less than enthused with Bonnie's choice of friends, just something else he'll have to take care of for her. She really needed him to help get control of her life.

Thank God he was there for her.

Even if she didn't know it yet.

* * *

She is with her friend again. The one from before, _Elaine_ or whoever.

This is the second time they've met up in as many months, the pair must be trying to mend their fractured relationship.

He's at a table off to the side of them sipping a latte to better blend in. His laptop is open in front of him, but he is only pretending to sort through his inbox. It's all a bluff, the screen positioned so that he will appear to be working while he does what he really came to do, observe.

Bonnie orders eggs benedict, his favorite; he doesn't bother to look at whatever shit Eleanor gets, probably something bland and flavorless- like her. This time the gangly brunette dominates the conversation- his poor baby cannot get a word in edgewise.

_Stuck-up bitch._

Bonnie doesn't seem to mind her friend's gift of gab, content to just listen and nod along. The disparate pair confounds him, the two could not seem more different yet somehow, they were friends. He can't fathom how she could possibly stand to hang around someone so vapid.

The same was true of her boyfriend, why did she allow such _useless_ and parasitic people into her life? She may be the girl of his fantasies, but her decision-making leaves a lot to be desired. It's her most glaring flaw.

It's okay. He will fix it.

His clean-up list grew by the day, but he doesn't mind cleaning up his lovers' messes.

He winces, there's that pesky four-letter word again. He really needed to get it together. To clear his mind, he once again indulges in a violent fantasy. This time he directs it at her friend.

He imagines that he follows her home to wait in the stairwell of her apartment, he doesn't actually know what sort of home she occupies but apartment works for the fantasy so that is what he goes with. A stairwell is as great a place to hide as any.

He fantasizes for the nth time about tripping the "friend" down the stairs and watching her brown head bounce from step to step before finally cracking against the concrete landing, blood oozing out in a halo around her. He imagines crouching down next to her and pressing his fingers into the tacky liquid before bringing it to his lips.

_Bye-bye Ellen._

Just then something in the window catches his eye. It turns out to only be the reflection of a cyclist in a bright neon windbreaker passing in front of him, but it shifts focus back to the women he's meant to be surveilling.

Miss Doe Eyes is in the middle of speaking, as she has been for the last 20 minutes. She reaches out to touch Bonnie's shoulder and the smaller girl quickly jerks out of her grasp.

The action must throw her because her face flashes between both surprise and upset. She lets her hand fall and stares at her friend as if she burned her, but his girl doesn't cower and instead remains resolute until Elena laughs it off awkwardly before getting up and excusing herself from the table.

Kai expects she will fold in on herself, feel bad for asserting her boundary, then run off after the girl. Every bit of digging into their lives showed a one-sided relationship that centered Elena; Bonnie was probably as shocked by her actions as her friend and any minute now she'll be trading her momentary boldness for the usual deference.

But Bonnie's expression doesn't change, and she doesn't rise to go check on her friend. Remaining seated she almost looks...pleased with herself, but it's got to be a trick of the light.

From this distance he must be seeing the situation wrong, because from these 5 yards away it looks as if- _no way_ , is she dusting her shoulder off?

Kai squints and rubs his eyes. He leans forward to gawk openly, not caring that he's being totally conspicuous because right this very moment he's sure he catches Bonnie _smirking._ It catches him completely off guard and soon his own muscles are pulling taut to match her grin.

This is a moment just between them. She's just revealed a side of herself she never shows, and he gets to witness it, gets to share in it with her, albeit from a bench across the street.

He's glad he followed her today.

She just can't help but yield her secrets to him, and he will keep them safe, he will keep _her_ safe. Though it seems like she may not need him to, could he have been wrong about her?

Perhaps she's no shrinking violet after all _..._

* * *

Something is seriously wrong.

He _should_ be thinking of all the ways he can torture and mutilate her pretty brown flesh, _not_ thinking about covering the broad expanse with feather-light kisses.

It seems for every violent and totally fucked up fantasy he has about her there is a tender one to couple it.

 _What the fuck_.

He's losing himself, he was never like this, he hated tender, he hated gentle.

Like her miserable boyfriend- her whiny, sniveling, shmuck of a man is so pitiful. Everything he's researched about him makes him want to snap the dude's neck and that's only 30% from jealously. Honestly, he probably should off the dude, Bonnie would probably thank him. As she should, he would be doing her a serious favor; along with the rest of the world.

But there is something about this girl that makes him crave levity with her almost as much as he craves darkness. Keyword being _almost._

A few fantasies of taking her bike riding through the park or of having a scenic picnic lunch do nothing to quell the overwhelming desire to make her scream and writhe; both in pleasure _and_ in agony.

He clenches the table thinking about what she would sound like begging for her life as he stood over her. As he pictures tears gathering in her moss green eyes and imagines her strained voice just _pleading_ with him to let her go his chest thuds with excitement.

_Good things come to those who wait._

Bonnie certainly would be coming for him. He just needed to be patient.

With each day that passes he learns more and more; falls deeper and deeper into the trench. He is starting to think her good girl act is a rouse.

There is something more to Bonnie Bennet; something the sweet girl hides from everyone in her life. Something waiting to be discovered, to be seen by another; something curious and possibly darker than she, or anyone around her realized.

And Kai wants to dredge it up; force her to take a good hard look at herself, maybe for the first time in her life.

She was not being very honest, least of all with herself.

_Naughty Girl_

He'd show her she couldn't hide from him.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Just a fun little stalker fic that honestly came to me while watching a porno. Not sure what else to say here, most of this is written, I'd say like...a solid 85%, but it has to be organized and fine-tuned. I think this will probably have about...4 or 5 parts.
> 
> Check ya later...


	2. I’ll Be Upon You By The Moonlight Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody, so you may have noticed this chap is way longer than the previous. I thought about breaking it up into two, but screw it! I hope you enjoy it like this, but enough from me, let's dig right in, shall we?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Creepy Kai is in full effect, and it's only going to ramp up as he learns more and more. This chapter is similarly heavy on his POV, what can I say, dude just has a lot on his mind. 
> 
> When we left off, Kai was realizing Bonnie might not be such a goody-two-shoes...

* * *

_Baby, I'm preying on you tonight_  
_Hunt you down eat you alive_  
_Just like animals_  
_Animals_  
_Like animals-mals_

_Maybe you think that you can hide_  
_I can smell your scent for miles_  
_Just like animals_  
_Animals_  
_Like animals-mals_

_(Animals, Maroon 5)_

* * *

He's watched her enough.

After two months of silent creeping, it's time for a break from the girl. A switch is in order, and he decides to follow her boyfriend instead. No sooner than he plans it he misses her already, but he must be diligent, and diligent recon required analysis of everything, not just her.

To say he's less than thrilled to follow her boyfriend around is putting it mildly. More often than not he's weighing the pros and cons of murdering him and how it will affect his chances with Bonnie. Grief made some girls horny, others not so much. Bonnie seems like the type to shrink into herself upon losing a loved one.

Not for the first time, he wonders how she coped with her father's death. Probably not by being horny, that's for sure. His own father's death still filled him with excitement, but not that kind, he's pretty fucked up but at least he's not _that_ fucked up.

* * *

Day one on the trail confirms what Kai already knew- The dude is _boring_.

He researched this guy for weeks, dug deep into his digital history, and Kai knows a lot about Jeremy Gilbert now.

He knows which hospital he was born in, his position and rank on the Mystic Falls High Timberwolves football team, the immersive wilderness survival program he attended in his gap year, the class he TA'd for at Frostburg, and the student he screwed to lose the position.

It tickles him to read that his parents also died tragically, the Daddy-Is-Dead club just keeps expanding, too bad they're not accepting new members because he and Bonster make the perfect pair. It also doesn't really count that your Dad is dead if your Mother is dead too, but he quickly realizes that's just a self-own.

All-in-all learning about the boy's drowned parents doesn't register as the worst thing he finds out. Parents died all the time, he should know.

Perhaps _worst_ of all is that he now knows Bonnie and the jerk were high-school sweethearts, _gag._ Thinking about their puppy love makes him want to hurl. The information gets filed away like always, compartmentalizing is his forte.

The hunt continues.

* * *

Jeremy's latest Facebook post is a group photo with a bunch of people in business casual attire.

Reading the caption confirms this is his 'work family.' Kai can just barely make out the first three numbers in the street address and the name on the door, it's not much but it's enough.

Finding the exact location of the building is child's play. _Winthrop_ , _Wallace, Walleye & Associates- _a law firm.

Ooo, was Jer some kind of hot-shot lawyer? Maybe not so miserable after all.

This firm is pretty reputable, they've got a 97% rate of success for every case they've taken on. Seems they also specialize in high-profile cases; their clients have made headlines four times in as many years. Impressive- so impressive that he's momentarily stunned.

What on earth is Jeremy doing working in a place like this? Maybe what he lacks as a partner he makes up for...as a _partner_?

 _Hiyoooo_ \- he just cracks himself up. He hopes that Bonnie will enjoy laughing at his jokes as much as he does.

* * *

Getting into Gerome's office proves to be more difficult than he thought. Since the building houses such a prestigious law firm security for the whole building is tight.

Studying the place online he knew they had metal detectors and an on-sight security check was required to visit, but he didn't think it would be this serious. Misjudging things wasn't at all like him. Just what sort of ship were they running? Why is he being screened like this is some TSA checkpoint?

Flashing his smile at the guard downstairs earns him nothing. It was a 50/50 shot anyway. There were plenty of men who were putty to Kai's charms. Some wanted to be with him, others just wanted to be him. The rest hated him or resented him, sometimes for the same reasons.

The man across from him now falls into the former category and not the latter.

Kai is excellent at reading people and it's clear this man thinks Kai is nothing more than an entitled POS who thinks he can bat his eyes and get whatever he wants.

Which is accurate.

The guard has clipped gray hair, close to the scalp. While he speaks his eyes sweep the entire floor every 90 seconds almost on the dot. All this combined with his rigid posture and watch set to the 24-hour clock all but confirms the dude is ex-military.

These types almost always hated him. Types exactly like this father.

Kai's own dad was a former high-ranking officer in the army and ran his household much the same. As much as his father hated him and as much as men who shared the archetype always did, the feeling was mutual.

He forces his facial muscles to still as he tries to stop from sneering in the other man's face when tells him again that, _"A minimum of four days advanced notice is needed for sign-ins who don't work in the building, young man._ "

Since Kai cannot produce a badge and no one has vouched for him ahead of time he's pretty much out of options.

He'll have to change his strategy, showing off his dimples will get him nowhere with the surly man barring him from entering now. Turning around he spots another guard, a woman with who he'd probably have had more luck. He'll watch the place for the next few days and learn her hours. Next time he will make sure to drop by when she's scheduled.

He is about to head home and re-group when he sees the man who denied him tap her on the shoulder. Good thing he didn't leave yet, he's just in time to catch the changing of the guards.

The older man talks to his coworker briefly then walks down the hallway, more than likely toward the bathroom. Kai knows he's got a narrow window, so he opts to move fast. Instead of getting to his knees to thank whichever deity was smiling upon him, he wastes no time moving towards her.

From three yards away he can see this new guard is young, probably no more than a few years younger than him, he places her in her early twenties. She's blonde and has her hair pulled in a tight, professional bun.

While her choice of hair is severe her makeup is bright and immaculate and compliments the 'do perfectly. Her eyes show multiple shades of blue that blend together seamlessly with a white stripe arching across her lid. Her cheeks are a peachy color, and her lips are gleaming. She's even got fake freckles; Kai can tell by their perfectly symmetrical spacing on either side of her face. She's cute, but more importantly, she's current. He can tell it's meant to be a look.

This is useful information. It's revelatory and it means she's someone trendy and millennial. Much easier for him to work with than Joshua .02.

Her name tag says, _Cheryl._

_Here goes nothing **.**_

He walks up, charming smile in place, and by the way she eagerly returns it, he knows it's already working. To make sure he sells the act he pretends to be flustered, even going so far as to pat all over his suit jacket as he imitated a search for something he did not actually possess.

" _Hey_ ," he begins, adding extra breath to it so he sounds more believable.

He calls upon his own past as an emo art boy as he tries to relate to her and sell her a version of him that she'll love the most. He performs his act effortlessly and it works almost too easily.

It's disarming; he plays into looking like a cute, frazzled, young, businessman like a pro. What can he say, he's had loads of practice. Pretending he's totally unaware of how attractive he is has always been his favorite way to attract women.

"I am so sorry, I have a really important meeting with my lawyer today, but I guess he forgot about me and didn't add my name to the list. He's taking me on pro-bono, but I don't think he really likes me. _Shit_ , I swear I printed out the email confirming our appointment, it's gotta be here somewhere..." he escalates from patting his chest and searching his pockets to shuffling through his briefcase.

"I really need to meet with him about my clinic, the city wants to shut us down, but my clients need- I'm sorry you don't want to hear my sob-story." He hangs his head in what appears to be defeat, "I guess I'll just try to call him and come back another day."

Okay, giving the impression he runs some charity clinic is a dicey move, but he's banking on her kindness. He bets her Instagram bio says "empath" with a crystal ball and eye emoji. Again, she's cute. Maybe she'd even be his type if he weren't already seeing someone else.

To be fair the story isn't exactly a _lie_ , he does do a lot of free work and offers sliding scale services for his lower-income patients.

"The perks of having a bleeding-heart," she laughs.

Here comes the key moment, he bites his lip to seem frustrated and turns his chin slightly so that he's looking up at her innocently. He makes sure to slump his shoulders and look deflated as he hunches over; hair falls into his eyes as he peers up at her and delivers the crucial final line,

" _Cheryl_ ,"

Her eyes light up and she inflates at the sound of her own name from his lips.

"I hate to ask, but do you think you can help me out?"

There's a brief pause, she knows the protocol and knows she shouldn't give him a pass. Her hands hover in midair as she looks over her shoulder and down the hall, no doubt thinking of what her coworker would do if he found out.

But she does it anyway, just like he wanted her to. She falls for him and gives him exactly what he wants.

 _Hook, line_ , & _sinker_.

* * *

Stepping off the elevator brings him directly into the throws of bustling office space. Kai waves to the receptionist as if he does it every day then disappears into the atrium ahead of him.

The first few minutes are as overwhelming as they are illuminating. Kai loves his profession and is grateful he chose it for many reasons, not only because he's excellent at it, not only because it's kind of creepy, but because his office is small. Having his own little practice means he doesn't have to navigate office conflicts or inter-personal dynamics or labyrinthian floor plans because he's only got five employees other than himself.

Massive spaces like this are as much a blessing as they are a curse. Blending in to high-energy settings is easy in theory, but they usually have their own rhythm and, being that he doesn't know it, one step out of place could put all eyes on him. He must adapt to their pace and quickly. Up ahead is a narrow hallway, liminal spaces are great for fading into the fray.

Once safely nestled in the hall he tries moving back and forth down the hallway to see if anybody notices, his phone is pressed to his ear, so it seems like he's just talking and pacing. After five laps he's confident no one is paying him any mind. This allows him to scope things out and ease into looking as though he belongs.

This place is swarming. He wants to watch the busy little bees buzz about, but he knows staying in any one place for too long is just asking for trouble and he moves out of the hallway and into a fancy lounge area.

Unlike the rest of the office, this room is calm and mellow. Low light emanates from the fixtures built into the walls and there is an interesting golden pattern across the ceiling. There are TV screens on the walls, tuned in to different major news networks from around the world. In the middle of the room is a large white table with baskets of fruit, breads, pastries, and healthy fare.

He plops into a chair and reaches for a granola bar from the center. When he sees that these are not any sort of cheap nature valley bar but something expensive and organic, he pockets several more. After re-shuffling the bowl to make it look like he didn't take seven bars he snatches a chocolate chip muffin, three bananas, a blackberry danish, an almond croissant, just one more granola bar, and a bear claw. Clearly, these stiffs aren't appreciating the spread, who cares if he helps himself?

He pulls out his laptop and decides to bite into his croissant first. It's to die for and he smoothly grabs another. As he eats, he reclines and finds that not only are the chairs comfortable, but they spin. He turns himself in circles and takes in the rest of the room.

The walls are a gorgeous shade of deep green, like the forest. He's reminded of ferns and moss which only reminds him of- no he's not focusing on her today **.** Today is about her man. Speaking of Lil baby blockhead, where is he? Tempted as he is to munch to his stomach's content he is on a mission.

If he were a loser like Jeremy where would he be? Probably jerking off in a corner office.

Dusting the crumbs off his lap he rises and heads off to find Jeremy before he wastes any more time spinning and chewing. On his way out he grabs an orange for the road, something healthy, he's got to watch his figure.

* * *

As it happens Jeremy is not jerking off nor is he in the corner office.

No, he's stationed in the fucking mailroom of all places.

Damn paperboy.

Even in a place as nice as this, he holds some pathetic office job. He should have known the dude would be some paper pusher. Kai chastises himself for seriously believing the schlemiel would be considered for partner. Bonnie's positive outlook and brightness were infecting him. The real Kai would have accurately clocked Jameson from the very start.

* * *

Security Guard Cheryl had a soft spot for his, 'bleeding heart' as she put it, but rather than rely on her empathy for the rest of the week he relies on modern tech and installs a hidden camera amongst the towering piles of mail in Jeremy's office.

Really, he isn't a tech wiz, but his cousin Lucas is as is Lucas's sister Oliva, they're twins just like him and Josette. Twinhood was a weird thing that ran in his family. Besides Lucas and Oliva and Josette and himself, his father and uncle were twins and their father and uncle too and so on, and so forth. Unfortunately, technological skills were not similarly ubiquitous for the Parkers, but a trait specific to Luke.

A few years back he'd gone to Lucas looking for recommendations on surveillance cameras for the entrance and exit to his office. Instead of sending him a list like he thought he would Lucas had done him one better and loaded him up with a bunch of surveillance gadgets and Olivia walked him through working them all. They even threw in an extra mini camera neither of them had use for, the entire device is smaller than the tip of his finger. Kai didn't inquire as to why they had such an abundance of miniature cameras they could spare an extra.

Since he only ended up needing three out of the four they gave him, not including the mini cam which he had no clue what to do with, the extras were left unused. The items had been collecting dust in the back of his walk-in for a while now, it was only on a fluke he even remembered them. Age hadn't worked against them and he had been elated to find that upon booting them up both cameras were good as new.

Before leaving Jeremy's office on day one he snuck the devices into the mailroom. Presently the main camera is hidden on a shelf and propped up behind a fake potted plant. The small space was extremely cluttered which eases any anxiety about it being found. Honestly, the thing will probably collapse underneath a pile of poorly stacked paper before he's even able to capture any footage.

On the way out of the room, he'd spotted Jeremy's keychain on a small table and an idea instantly formed in his head. It was risky, but the chance of it paying off is high, as is the danger. The lanyard should've been around Jamari's neck, but there it was right in front of him, that's got to mean something. He could not pass up the opportunity to use the mini cam and attaches it discreetly to the side of the lanyard. If this works, he'll be able to see what Jeremey gets up to both inside and outside the office.

The clacking sound of footsteps coming down the hall alerted him that he didn't have much time. There was no door to the mailroom, anybody walking by seeing him snooping around would only create problems.

He rushed to make sure the cam was securely fastened, normally he'd take his time to ensure everything was thoroughly concealed, but the heels in the hall grew nearer. With the last few seconds to spare he pressed himself to the wall until they walked by and the sound of shoes clicking could no longer be heard.

Even now as he remotely activates both cameras, he's not sure if the last-minute decision will benefit or cost him.

* * *

Maybe pinning the camera in the lanyard wasn't such a bad idea. He's surprised at how well it worked considering using the mini cam was an impromptu decision.

Looking at this lopsided footage is about to make Kai lose his lunch, pouring through the hours makes him queasy, but on the bright side, he's able to make out a fair deal of Jeremy's days. Apart from the shaky angle and occasional jostling, it's got solid footage. Around 78% of it is useable which is amazing all things considered.

Every day was the same- he filed into his little cluttered room, organized files until midday, then pushed his cart around delivering letters to his coworkers. At least Jeremy is well-liked. His coworkers seem to think he's adorable. As he passes them their mail many of them pause their phone calls to share smiles or greet him.

Around noon he walks to the deli cart around the corner for a turkey and American on rye, 'extra onions, hold the mustard, double the mayo,' Kai's glad the camera has audio capabilities but has to dampen the urge to do a technicolor yawn every time he hears the revolting order. After ordering the sandwich from hell Jerkington then returns to the office and putzes around until five, and that is the sum of the fool's daily work life.

On Day four Jerm skips the sandwich, much to his eavesdropper's delight, and slinks into the nearby alley.

He spies from the comfort of his sofa as the dude picks up weed from some kid who looks like he cannot be a day older than fifteen. Wow, not only was he a slacker, not only was he undeservingly occupying Kai's rightful place, but he scores pot off _kids_ in vacant lots.

Recreational drugs are fine, Kai enjoys them now and then, but getting them from literal children certainly isn't. How hard was it to find a dealer his own age? He's already made up his mind not to kill Jeremy, but damn if the boy didn't tempt him every chance he got.

* * *

Days five and six are uneventful, as is the day of the seventh.

The night is different though.

He had followed Jerome for a week both virtually and in-person and was about to call it off, there were only so many nights of watching the man trudge pathetically to and from work and to the alley for weed he could take.

The only saving grace is that guy's sex life with Bonnie is virtually non-existent. Kai doesn't know what he would do if the boy tried to touch what was his, and he works hard to tamper down his possessiveness, he hasn't even revealed himself yet.

 _All in due time_.

He sinks lower into the front seat of his Porsche, wishing he opted for a rental instead. His car was nice, but it was also flashy. Not the kind of vehicle best suited for reconnaissance and stealth. He is ready to put it in drive and peel out the way he came when he gets an odd feeling that urges him to stay for a moment longer.

And he is glad he did- Kai watches the boy scan his surroundings nervously before ducking into a stylish and lively bar.

He peeks his head out the driver's side window and takes note of his surroundings; they're all the way across town, nowhere near the apartment occupied by the little witch (he's taken to calling her that for the spell she's clearly cast on him).

_Interesting **.**_

He waits a few moments then follows into the establishment. Ordering a Moscow Mule from the bar he heads to a tucked-away corner where he can watch the scene unfold. It takes a moment to find the moppy brown head in the dim lighting, but he spots the boy across the room at a cozy booth behind the pool tables.

Emphasis on _cozy_ because even though there are approximately four yards between him and the man, Kai can see he is not alone.

Seated directly next to him is a woman in a vibrant red dress. Watching the way she presses her upper body into Jeremy, he knows they're not just work-buddies meeting up for Happy Hour.

This honestly comes as a shock, who would have thought he had it in him? The girls' not exactly Kai's type, but her appeal isn't lost on him, Kai can differentiate someone unattractive from someone he's not attracted to. In fact, she seems almost out of Jeronimo's league. He's impressed but it just as quickly dissolves to disgust.

* * *

He has to give the kid credit, meeting up with his mistress four times in one week was bold, if not just plain stupid. It has been two weeks since the incident and Kai has seen a _lot_.

Jeremiah is a busy boy two-timing across town. It makes him feel for his rival, being as stupid as he was, and juggling two women must be stressful, he's not that cruel he can't empathize. Of course, it also makes him want to kill him even more than before.

Kai follows the couple as they fold into her car and off to his place, a condo not far from the bar he first spied them at.

He was surprised to learn the kid did actually have a place of his own. All the times he spends mooching off his girlfriend you'd think he would have saved his money and gotten rid of his place. Obviously, it's not as nice or as clean as the apartment Bonnie occupies, which is probably why he's always holed up at hers. It looks like he only uses his own place to smoke and to score.

The couple begins making out as they walk from the car to his front door; this continues inside. Clearly, Jerk didn't believe in curtains, which is as stupid as it is unsurprising.

As he watches the dope who is dating the object of his desire take off his shirt and lay back in front of the woman now getting to her knees, he is struck again by how selfish he is. _Must run in the family._

In all the time he's watched them screw not _once_ had he lifted a finger to do any of the work.

This poor girl's knees must be totally chaffed from how many BJs he's seen her give. If only to spare her probably aching jaw, he imagines coming up from behind and strangling the boy with headphone cords. Unfortunately, he already traded his old corded earphones for cordless earbuds, not wanting to be behind the trends.

Kai imagines all the ways he could take out this dumb fuck while watching the guy get blown for the next quarter-hour. Getting through choking, smothering, poisoning, stabbing, setting him on fire, chopping his head off, putting it in a box, and leaving it on Bonnie's doorstep before he decides he's seen enough.

He considers killing the girl, but it would only further delay his timetable, he's been at this for near four months as it is. Anyway, killing was messy, always a seemingly endless number of loose ends to tie up. Plus, he doubts she even knows about Bonnie, Jeremy seemed like the kind to lie about being single to his own mistress.

He decides what she doesn't know shouldn't hurt her and thinks of how proud his little witch would be to know he spared the other girl's life. Bonnie was _mostly_ good; she didn't deserve someone who murdered unsuspecting women; he would prove himself.

So, he ignores the urge to sneak up the back deck and into the home to slash the throat of the girl his girl's boyfriend is screwing and he mentally pats himself on the back for being such a good boy. He decides he is being _so_ good, in fact, that he deserves a treat. He will stop by Bonnie's on the return home.

At least he knows she'll be alone.

* * *

When he gets there her blinds are slightly open, wider than usual.

_What a tease._

Her carelessness would get her in trouble one day, perhaps sooner than she knew.

He positions himself across the street and pulls out his phone pretending to swipe so as not to seem conspicuous. To anyone passing by, he'll just look like someone waiting for an Uber beneath the safety of the streetlamp. He holds no plans to be here longer than a few minutes. This is just his reward to himself for being on his best behavior.

Still riled up from earlier since not offing anybody like he wanted to. It leaves him feeling unfulfilled and agitated. He considers his options but rubbing one out beneath her window hardly seems like a good idea, there's too much risk. It is thrilling though, and the mere thought of it sates him.

For now.

Kai tilts his head a fraction to the left, still pretending to swipe through his phone. This angle allows him to peer straight inside her room. Something he discovered shortly after he began watching her.

Right now, she is at her writing desk, perched on the seat as if ready to rise, clad in only the skimpiest of shorts and a loose-fitting tee.

As she reads from a book her legs part slightly, if he leans over, he can see the briefest glimpse between them. In his mind he imagines popping out from her closet, ripping her shorts off, and tying the loose shirt around her wrists.

He also imagines sitting under her desk and tasting her while she worked. Pushing her legs wide and burrowing face-first into her lap; kissing and licking and slurping. Coaxing more and more moans to spill from her mouth as she tried her best to focus while he sucked on her pussy. In his head, he bites down on her clit and her warm blood fills his mouth as moans turn to screams.

His girl gets up and crosses to the wardrobe he seconds ago imagined jumping out of. She retrieves a robe before disappearing into, what he guesses must be the en-suite bathroom.

What he wouldn't do to see what was happening now.

He lets his gaze linger for a moment longer, savoring the small comfort of being this close to her, even if it is all the way from across the street and three stories down.

It isn't much, but it will have to tide him over until tomorrow.

"Hasta la vista, baby _...I'll be back_ ," he intones in his best Schwarzenegger impression of The Terminator. His airy words drift off in the breeze of the cool night as he disappears down the empty street.

* * *

He knows her apartment by the faint purple glow that emanates from behind the blinds.

Blinds she's been forgetting to close more and more of late. If she knew the dangers that lurked these mean city streets she wouldn't be as cavalier about letting people see into her home.

At first, the purple confused him, then it changed to blue, red, then yellow before settling on purple again. He realized after his second visit that she must have some specialty lights installed, they may have even been simple string lights. The colors are entrancing but he hardly wants to waste time thinking about the light fixtures in her apartment. He'd much rather think about what her throat would feel like gasping for breath in his hands. What her screams sound like. How hard he can bite into her before he tears flesh from bone. He wonders what her blood tastes like.

He adjusts himself in his pants, double-checking to make sure there is no one around to watch him as he does so. He doesn't need a public indecency charge, that would only serve to make all of this that much harder.

 _'Heh, get it? Harder?'_ a voice in his head supplies. Kai laughs at his own low-brow humor before turning back to the scene above. He watches from below, hidden partially by the streetlight, he can't very well peek through her blinds when her unit is on the third floor.

She has a visitor.

From the way she attempts to slam the door in whoever's face, she must not be enthused to see them. Bon-bon is short and if he cranes his neck he can see over her head, it appears she's talking to a man, though he can't quite make out any other distinguishing characteristics besides dark black locks.

Clearly, the stranger stops her from shutting him out by shoving his foot in the door. He can see now that it is a man, and he recognizes him.

Ahhh, this was the infamous toxic ex of her friend's- Damon Salvatore.

He'd seen a picture of the man through Ellipses's Instagram, the dude didn't have much in the way of social media, which posed minor difficulty.

It's been a matter of minutes and the brute has pushed his way inside the apartment. To Bonnie's credit she does not back down, from the second he shoves inside she's right in his face. Kai wants to rush up to help as much as he wants to stay below and watch. He cannot believe he's thinking this, but where is her man? She's all alone and the danger is closing in.

Moments pass like hours and the man still does not leave, he pesters and encroaches on Bonnie more and more until she's backed against the glass window. When she can retreat no further, he picks up the girl and threatens her. Kai cannot hear what is being said, but Bonnie's dangling feet tell him all he needs to know.

Quickly she brings her elbow forward and it connects with his temple, the aggressor clutches his head and falls to his knees. Wasting no time Bonnie immediately kicks him and try as he might, he cannot see what's happening. Now that Damon is knocked down it's harder to see what's going on. Is she alright, has he retaliated, has it escalated even further?

After painstaking seconds, the door closes, and Bonnie reappears in the window. Her eyes scan the view as if she's searching for someone, freshly paranoid and upset from the trauma she just went through. She closes the curtains, but not before she lets out a scream and wraps her arms around herself.

There is a phone in her hand and Kai isn't even upset that she's probably calling Jeremy. Before the curtains close all the way he sees the tears that stream down her face. He decides to hang back until he sees Jeremy's car book it down the street and into the garage beneath the building at breakneck speed **.** At least there's something he's good for.

When Kai gets to his car, he slams the door and puts the key into the ignition. He wills himself to calm down enough to make the drive home, but fifteen minutes have passed, and he is still white-knuckling the steering wheel.

He had tried so hard to avoid dirtying his hands, but its clear playtime is over. Killing is messy, but this he just cannot accept. Jeremy can comfort her; he will do what needs to be done to ensure she stays protected **.** The other man had crossed a line and he has to pay for it. If only he knew the price of visiting Bonnie tonight would be his life.

Whoever said there was no honor among thieves was right, they may both be predators, but Damon's days are officially numbered.

* * *

It's a funny thing, following a girl for six months.

It took stealth, of course, patience too, but it also took charisma and creativity, or at least that's what he tells himself as he prepares to meet with her property manager for a guided tour of her apartment.

This was planned last minute after seeing the lights to the building's leasing office still on late one night this week; he already has her floor plan memorized from the pics he spotted on her apartment's website. There are four models available in the building but based on hers occupying the third floor and being a corner unit he's able to rule out two possibilities off the bat. Coupled with what he has been able to ascertain on his evening 'walks' down her block, he's got a pretty solid idea of what her apartment looks like, but there is a niggling in his mind reminding him that the best-laid plans were thorough.

So, Kai phoned the leasing agent, to schedule a 'tour.' After that, all it took was a quick chat with her property manager to schedule a time to come look at the property. He makes sure to give the impression he's a very wealthy bachelor looking to move in immediately. Really, he's very insistent, and the landlord is all too eager to betray his tenant's privacy for the prospect of another monthly check, he even doesn't have to worry about not taking no for an answer.

The man who stands out front to meet him has a plastic face that stands out from yards away. Kai doesn't need to be closer to make out the sickening grin he wears.

"Good Morning, you must be Dr. Parker. It's great to meet you, thank you for agreeing to come by this early, being such a successful surgeon I'm sure you've got a busy schedule." The Jordan Peterson wannabe's hand is outstretched towards him, gaudy Rolex shining on his wrist. He shakes his hand vigorously as if wealth can be transferred by touch.

Kai smirks, old boy had done his homework; that's alright, he had too. The leasing office website has an about section with profiles for each team member. Scanning it told him everything he needed to know. Not that this sycophant is complex. In his bio, he quotes both Robert Greene's The 48 Laws of Power and Machiavelli's The Prince. All that was missing was a quote from Atlas Shrugged to complete the douchebag triplicate.

This type is familiar to him, he met them all throughout medical school. Guys who were born into wealth and lived by the bootstraps myth. Cringe personified, at least they're easy to manipulate. Flash a little wealth, name drop unapologetically, quote Sun Tzu and they were putty in your hands.

"Well, ' _rise and grind_ ', as they say. Time is money and I can't afford to sleep in, and you are?" Part of selling the idea that he was some well-to-do meant feigning arrogance. He pretends not to know his name, as if he can't be bothered to.

"Chadwick Thames," he grins beatifically despite the fact he ought to feel insulted.

Kai is amused, how very WASP-y.

"Listen, _Chad_ , I'm in a bit of a rush, so if you don't mind..." The rest of the day is wide open, his next appointment isn't until tomorrow afternoon but giving the sense he had no time to spare was strategic.

"Of course, Dr-"

"Please, call me, Mal."

The lessor beams pleased to be on a nickname basis.

"Mal, if you would please follow me this way."

He leads them into the building and gives Kai a quick briefing in the leasing office before taking them to view the apartment. Kai spies an espresso machine on the way out of the office and is disappointed that he wasn't offered any, it looks fancy, but it's just as well they get along with the tour.

The longer he sticks around the greater likelihood she'll return. The tour guide knows this too and it lights a fire under his heels, he's down the hall and in the elevator bay in under five seconds. Kai breaks into a light jog to keep up.

One elevator ride later and a few paces later they arrive at her door. He takes a moment to savor the feeling as they cross over the threshold. Inhaling deeply as the man drones on about shit that doesn't concern him. It smells like a combination of cedar, vanilla, and almond and he wants to know if the occupant smells the same.

"This unit's not available right now, obviously- but an identical unit on the sixth floor should be opening up shortly. I'm afraid, the current resident won't be able to stay there much longer."

There's something about the way he says it that grabs Kai's attention. He doesn't illuminate what that means exactly and there is a strange and haughty edge to his voice. Probably some senior with a rent-controlled apartment he's pushing out.

"Tenant about to croak or something? **"** he fishes.

"Heh, yea, _something_ like that." He sniggers to himself at some joke Kai isn't in on.

_'What a dick.'_

Not wanting to be around this dreg a moment longer he remembers exactly why he's here and wills himself to stop getting so easily distracted.

Kai directs his focus outward to take in all the details of her apartment, noting the charming and cozy feeling of the space. Art adorns the walls and books line the shelves and the faint scents of lavender and vervain hang in the air. Everything is very bohemian, walking through her space now he feels his spooky nickname for her is apropos.

In addition to the folk art around the room, there are various little tchotchkes that feel mystical. Small statues and totems that look to be African in origin sit on tables in several rooms. There's also incense, a deck of tarot cards, and candles to spare.

Her office space looks less like something belonging to a design professional than to a librarian. Shelves are packed with thick leather-bound books and in the windowsill, crystals lie on a towel catching the bright sunlight. There is a wonderful luminescent quality about them and has to resist the urge to walk over and pick one up.

Her kitchen leaves a bit to be desired, it hardly seems like she uses it. This explains why she orders take-out so often; his baby can't cook.

He'll have to teach her, show her how to do all the basics- chop, mince, sauté, bake. Then they'll graduate to the harder stuff, by the time they're done she'll be a regular Julia Childs, only- you know, _hotter_. When she finally masters everything he has to teach her, they'll cook up a feast together and he'll eat her right on this kitchen table.

Wait, is she going to be keeping her place after he kidnaps her? Or will she just be living with him?

These are details that he should've had worked out by now. Details he _ought_ to be working out currently. This little excursion isn't about marveling at the quaint witchiness of her home but planning the best exit strategy so he can get in, get her, and get out. This tour has been going on for upwards of ten minutes and he's only thought about how pretty it is and how nice it smells. He needs to get his head back on straight and the quickest way is to do something devious.

He moves quickly, not wanting to be noticed. When the bootlicker's back is turned and he's busy raving about wainscoting Kai ducks into her room and rifles through her panty drawer. He knows it's her panty drawer because every time he sees her emerge from the bathroom post evening shower it's the first drawer she heads to.

Instead of looking through for the best pair, he snags a lacey red number from the middle of the drawer. If he took the blue right on top surely she'd notice. Though she would probably think the landlord did it if she knew he was showing her place. He looks like the type.

Tempted as he is to do what he wants and let someone else take the fall it would only work against him ultimately. He does not need her being guarded and on edge because of this when he finally comes to her. So middle pair it is. Not that he's mad about the delicate thong now in his possession. His first choice for panty theft had been her dirty clothes hamper, but her closet isn't as easily accessible as the dresser, and getting caught stealing panties from her dirty laundry is the kind of thing he wants to avoid.

Before the landlord ushers him out he spots an album in the player titled _Baduizm_. From what he has seen of her music he knows she has taste. He files the information away and promises to look it up later on in the evening when he's home again.

Walking back out he takes note of all cameras he can, and the place is pretty sparse. Apart from the lobby and the elevators, there are no other recording devices he's been able to detect.

_Perfect._

That just makes his plan that much easier.

* * *

He strokes himself with the panties that night.

Running her silk drawers up and down his cock before coating them in a glossy shade of white when he's done. Thoughts of her in his head all the while.

Erykah Badu's soulful voice croons in the background as he imagines what will soon be reality.

_To catch me is to catch a leprechaun_

Weird lyrics, but he digs it.

_Hold on to your rabbit's foot,_

_I just might be yours forever..._

_You better_

Is this foreshadowing? Is Bonnie his good luck charm? Aww, is she his own little shamrock?

It's nice to think so because he does want to catch her. More than he's ever wanted anything before, or anyone.

Kai's body hums with the excitement of _finally_ getting his hands on her, _finally_ getting what he wants.

And he _always_ gets what he wants, she will be no exception.

* * *

This should be Damon's address according to photos he cross-referenced between Foursquare, Ella's IG, and an old google review for the ramen shop on the corner.

Damo keeps a low digital profile- it's weird. That only created a slight barrier though- Kai still found him. First things first- he's here to case the place, snoop around and figure out what he can. After that, he's less sure.

He's been wrestling with his options all day. To kill or not to kill- that is the question.

On the one hand, he already said he would. Kai rarely changes his mind once it's been made. That was for weaklings and dimwits who had to mull over their thoughts because they weren't smart enough to make the right call the first time. Kai didn't doubt himself or second guess. He was confident and secure in his choices.

Yet here he was wracking his brain trying to anticipate how Bonnie might react to Durrmon's death. She should be ecstatic, but would she be? What if it pulls her back into Elena's orbit? What if it only makes her sink her claws into his prey that much deeper?

What would Bonnie do? And why did he care?

He knows why and he's going out of his mind for it. Not only that, he's become sloppier for it- the _want_ of her. He's changed in the worst of ways. No longer is he as meticulous or precise. Just this wanting, thirsting husk walking around in the shape of a man feeling anything but. It feels like failure and it dampens his mood.

A more thorough plan would be to do recon today then come back later for the kill, but there's a sense of urgency he feels. What if he dawdles and Bonnie pays the price? He can't dick around when her safety is on the line. This needs to be taken care of and the sooner the better.

* * *

Looking Desmond up showed he had a brother who owned a boarding house. Kai had visited the place and been told by a brooding blonde man, who he correctly presumed to be the brother, that though he and Damon were in fact brothers, they were estranged and hadn't spoken for years. The fairer Salvatore made it clear he had no connection to his kin and didn't want to.

He must have been entertaining. No sooner than he finished speaking a perky blonde approached from behind pecked him on the cheek. At that point, a scruffy man with an English accent entered. The two newcomers flirted both with each other and Stefano then disappeared to another room in the spacious house. Moments later a disembodied feminine voice identified the apparently English man as, ' _Nicki_ ' and beckoned him to come assist her.

When Stefan stayed in the parlor to see Kai out _Nicki_ returned from the kitchen, tea set in hand, and invited him to join their teatime, but Kai declined to stay. Whatever triad situation they've got going on seems interesting, but he leaves anyway, swearing he recognized the blonde from a photo on Bonnie's nightstand.

Damon's place is easy to spot and getting in is simple.

There are no hidden keys around the entrance, so Kai just jerries a paper clip with a rubber-band and pops it into the lock. MacGyver's got nothing on him. Reminiscing about re-runs doesn't last long as the smell of putrescence strikes him suddenly. This can't be where he lives, it's a pigsty. This takes 'bachelor pad' to a grotesque extreme.

Taking one look around Damn's stuffy place shows not only is he gross, but he's also old-fashioned. He suspected he may have been older, but the dude is practically a geezer. He's gotta be in his early-to-mid-'40s. That explains why he doesn't have social media.

Save for a plasma screen and surround sound speaker system the place is filled with antiques. On the floor is sticky shag carpeting and there's a La-Z Boy Recliner in the corner. There's even a paper calendar on the wall with the preceding days exed out. Old take-out boxes and empty liquor bottles litter the floor and Kai has to be mindful where he steps to avoid slipping on one and breaking his neck.

The place is dry, Damon's not home so he slips back out. But there is the man of the hour hanging out on the corner. Just his luck- Deacon is drunk off his ass. From the lively ways he's speaking to no one in particular it's evident he's got charisma to spare. That charm must be what he relies on when wooing.

Kai must rely on his cunning and remain vigilant. Maybe he can keep him talking and corner him by the dumpster some yards in the distance.

He follows several paces behind as the other man approaches a leggy brunette intent on seducing her. The chick has sense and when Damon slurs his pick-up line at her she only scoffs and walks away.

"Your loss babe. Come back when you're ready to ride the D-train," he shouts then winks at her retreating form.

Well, what Demo lacks in situational awareness he certainly makes up for with bravado. Does he think this shtick works? Kai cannot tell if it is intentional or if Darian really is this offensive.

Because the raven-haired man is inebriated to the point he cannot tell up from down Kai doesn't bother to conceal his presence. Maybe there's time enough for him to fraternize with the enemy.

Without turning around Damien loudly yells, "I can hear you following me you know."

For the first time in his life, Kai chooses to remain silent. He likes to think he's levelheaded, leaning into his anger will only cause trouble. Patience is a virtue after all. His muteness pays off immediately as it prompts Damon to fill the space.

"Listen, I'm flattered but you're not my type, no offense. I prefer innies to outies if you know what I mean."

At least he's funny. "I'm afraid that's not what I want from you, Damon."

The mention of his name catches his attention and Damon tosses a glance over his shoulder, "Did my ex-wife Katherine send you? Because I don't owe her anything. Tell that bitch she's not getting the Camaro. If she thinks she can-"

"I think you know my friend, Bonnie Bennett?" Kai interjects, he doesn't care to hear about Damon's ex-wife.

There is recognition in his eyes but from Damon's mouth, he hears, "Bonnie, Bonnie- nope I can't say I do. It's not ringing any bells."

The key was to always know the answer before you asked the question. Kai had an answer for everything. His father used to call him a smart mouth before beating him. Nine times out of ten hearing the derisive nickname meant that pain would soon follow.

"No, see I know you do. I've seen you together. At her apartment. _Last Friday..._ " The day he had her pressed against the glass with his hands around her throat.

The man goes stock still at the sound of his voice. For all his stumbling, right now his body is ramrod straight. Slowly Damon turns to face him totally sobered, a drastic change from moments ago. "Listen, _pal_ , I don't know what you _think_ you saw, but all me and Bonster had was a friendly chat."

'Bonster and _I_ ,' he wants to correct. The endearing nickname from the man's lips makes him feel lethal, "Do you normally have friendly physical chats with Elena's friends?"

Dayton squints and tries to get a better look in the darkness. "Is there something you want…?" he trails off hoping Kai will supply his name.

"You can call me, Mal."

"Mal? What kinda shit is that? That short for something?"

"Malevolence, maleficence, malediction, maladjusted… take your pick." Damon only stares back at him with wide crazy eyes.

"Sorry, _big words_ \- they mean I'm bad."

Before Damon can blink Kai's got the shorter man yanked up by the collar and pressed against the dumpster, with his hands crushing his windpipe much like he had done to Bonnie less than a week ago. "You're going to leave her alone. If you ever get anywhere near Bonnie again, I'll kill you. If you so much as even _think_ of her again, I'll know."

"Who the fuck are you?"

"I told you already, Damiano. _I'm Mal_. Memory really isn't your strong suit, huh?"

The hovering man flails and kicks and Kai lands a sharp jab to his gut that knocks the wind out of him. "Now you may be thinking of calling the police, and hey that's fine- but I did my research Damo, and do you know what I found?" Damon doesn't respond to the question, only groans; and fights harder.

"I found out you've got active warrants for all sorts of things from breaking-and-entering to sexual assault and racketeering. I'd worry less about my little Bonnie-bell and more about covering your trail."

He stops fighting back and lowers his gaze.

"Good boy, Declan," Kai says, letting him fall unceremoniously to the floor. He should have thrown him into the garbage, it would have been fitting.

He laments the missed opportunity as he walks off. Damon is still stumbling and grumbling- Kai decides to call the police's anonymous tip line anyway. Maybe it's best he leaves scum like this to the boys in blue. He makes it to the corner when a slick comment from Damon's mouth reaches his ears as his thumb hovers over the button.

"Chasing after Baby Gilbert's skank won't do anything for you but have fun. She doesn't put out, _trust me_. Better you find a new mark, _freak_ ; not sure what made you think American Psycho is her type."

The ugly insults combined with the clear admission to trying something with her.

He returns the cell to his pocket. As he doubles back to round the corner, he finds the spot empty, he was sure he would find him here. Where could he have gotten too so quickly? There's a sound at the end of the corridor and as he turns, he just barely catches a glance at the man now running away.

He's been had.

Leave it to Durston to be the type to throw rocks and hide his hand. He cannot help but smile at that. The man thinks he's going to get away. He was going to spare Damien and this is the thanks he gets? Doing what he thinks the witch would want is boring. There's no action. Kai's been working so hard for her, but all work and no play makes Kai a homicidal boy.

Being disrespected and ditched by the likes of Damon- a cretin that reminds him of dirt; of grime and muck, is the final straw. He won't stand to run out on by the human equivalent of chewed gum on the underside of some kid's light-up sneaker. This ends tonight.

Thus, begins the onerous task of disappearing Elena's ex.

* * *

Hiding behind the empty dumpster for the second time tonight is not ideal, but it serves its purpose. The giant green bin casts just the right amount of shadow that between it and the night sky he's rendered invisible.

That's what he loves about this time of day.

The night brings with it cover. Affording him camouflage against prying eyes and concerned neighbors. Everyone is tucked away sleepily, everyone except for him. Playing both cat and mouse. The streetlight above blinks off and on, but he appreciates it, it makes him more alert. An anchor to the moment. He's not the only shark in these waters; there is another predator here.

And Kai knows he's a liar. At least he admits it, other people hid themselves, not him. How ironic as he dives into a shrub to avoid the patrolling neighborhood watch. The last thing he needs are accusatory stares disrupting what he came to do.

When he's with Bonnie the safety of night is wasted on him. He is not the thing that needs protecting, he is the lurking shadow, the encroaching danger, the mortal and unpredictable threat. The veil of darkness is the backdrop to all his scheming. This city seems idyllic, but like all towns it has its underbelly, Kai makes a quick call and phones in a favor to an old friend. It's such a transient town, no one will notice one creep go missing.

Said creep is tiptoeing his way back into the alley and towards the safety of his decrepit apartment. Kai has no intention of allowing him to make it there and steps out from the shadows.

"You again? I told you, buddy, I'm not interested. I thought we covered this- I like pussy and I don't want the Bennett bitch, so have at her. I learned my lesson and I'm sticking with white meat from now on."

Kai spares a laugh at the crudeness, after all this is the last thing Damon will ever hear. It wouldn't be right to send him off without laughing at his joke.

"Look, if you _really_ want to know why I'm still following you... it's because I want to _kill_ you."

Before the other man can fully register the words, Kai swings his hands overhead and brings them down, hitting him square in the temple.

He stumbles back and tries to grab hold of something to keep him upright. By the time he manages to grab ahold of the guardrail, his assailant is speaking again, " _never in your lif_ e," and, " _she's mine_ ," are all he can make out over the commotion of their scuffle. Kai produces an object from his pocket while he's giving some speech- telling him he will never get the chance to come near Bonnie again.

Then there's a blade through his stomach so he knows it's true. The blade eases back out before plunging back into his chest and through his sternum.

It's instinctive- the urge to protect yourself. Something primordial, instilled in man since the dawn of time. Damon wants to fight, but his body won't co-operate. Instead of forming a fist, his hands curl loosely around open-air, and instead of connecting with a square jaw, he pitches forward. Demon's almost-dead body drops like a sack of potatoes, but the poor bastard still has some fight left in him. How valiant, but ultimately in vain. Kai struck fatal blows and it's only a matter of time before Damien bites it, whether he's accepted that or not.

From the floor, his fingers twist around Kai's pants leg, because it's the closest piece of him within reach. Kai takes a step back and when Damon reaches forward with his other hand he steps on his fingers until there is a sickening crunch. Damari grunts and opens his mouth wide as Kai kicks him to his back. He's trying to shout, call out for someone, anyone. But no one is there. The whines fade to whimpers and soon the sound of soft fading wheezing, barely audible over the ambient downtown soundscape is all that is left of Dickbag Saboteur. The body goes inert and it's over.

Wiping the blood from his hands and re-pocketing his knife, he takes one last look at the man who dared touch his girl. All life drained from his eyes, neck craned at an odd angle.

He deliberately leaves him without dignity, propped against the back of the dumpster like he should have the first time. Kai makes a second call that lasts no more than several seconds. The broken body will be gone by morning with no trace it was ever here.

* * *

For whatever reason, he's unable to plan anything beyond exposing himself to her. No, not like _that;_ he won't flash her.

He's going to abduct her. Steal her away and bring her to his lair.

So why hasn't he planned it better?

In an attempt to self-soothe, he reminds himself that it's okay, he has time, there's no rush. He's tracked her schedule, watched her for months, killed her enemy, and been inside her home. The timetable is the last thing he needs to worry about.

The panties he stole from his little visit are burning a hole in his pocket. When they're not in his hand, around his dick, or in his mouth they're tucked against his thigh. His thumb grazes over the lace edge as he passes by the familiar office building and heads toward the entrance. He considers leaving her soiled underwear in Jeremy's mini-fridge, a nice little surprise for the dunce, but he cannot reveal himself so carelessly. Watching Jeremy's confusion morph into shock then revulsion and finally fear is hardly worth getting in the way of his grand plan.

Plus, that's not why he's here. Not _who_ he's here for.

He spots her blonde head near the metal detector. "Cheryl? You probably don't remember me," he slips easily back into the coy boy persona from before.

"Kai!" She interrupts, "of course I do, we don't see too many kind people working down here. Most of the clients barely pay us any mind. The rest don't like us and never hesitate to let us know. I think we must remind them of regular cops."

"I wanted to pick up something for you," as he says it, he reaches into his satchel and produces a flat container with the words FENTY BEAUTY in thick letters across the top.

So, she'll think he's gay, big deal. It never hurts to have friends in strategic places.

"This is...this is the new Fenty Snap Shadows Springtime palette! I tried to get this and couldn't find it anywhere. It sold out in three minutes online, how the hell did you get this?!" she squeals, practically jumping where she stands.

"My sister loves the stuff; would you believe they accidentally sent her two?"

Kind girl that she is, "Are you sure Kai? This is really amazing, but I don't know that I can take it from you. You're sure there's no one else in your life you can give it to?" Thinking of Bonnie makes him smile, but he shakes his head in response to the woman opposite him. "You helped me when I was in a tough spot, I just wanted to pay it back, you know- return the favor."

"I- I don't know what to say, thank you!" Her disbelief and gratitude are choking her up, "Thank you, I can't believe this! I can't believe this! My roommate is going to be super jealous!"

"Don't mention it," he says smiling. "Say, I know it's technically after hours, but do you think I can use the bathroom for a sec?"

"Of course, of course! It's right down the hall and to the left, third door from the right," she directs him, eyes still on the object in her hand.

He follows her directions and heads to the bathroom. He doesn't really need to relieve himself; he just needs to finish cleaning himself up and kill some time.

After wiping a spec of Domino's blood that managed to land behind his ear he changes clothes into an outfit identical to the one he already has on. He does another once-over to make sure Damon wasn't rude enough to stain his skin anywhere else then wraps the soiled clothes in a trash bag before returning them to his pack. Checking his reflection in the mirror he makes sure there's not a hair out of place. His hands are clean and nothing about his appearance is amiss.

He winks to his own reflection before exiting.

* * *

Cheryl waves so hard as he leaves the building he's sure her hand is going to fly off her wrist, but he appreciates her excitement as much as she had appreciated his gift. Now he's got an ally and an alibi. If this Damon shit hits the fan, which it won't, he's now got someone who can vouch for him and all it took was some extra makeup that his sister got accidentally. It was like the universe was pulling for him.

Jo really did love all this makeup crap, and the company really had sent her two by mistake. Knowing he was _courting_ she suggested he leave it in Bonnie's house on one of his visits, but the gift is too nice. Not that she doesn't deserve it, but he didn't want her thinking gifts courtesy of him were coming from the imbecile. Why work hard to not receive any of the credit? Yea, he'll pass.

On the stroll back he takes time to enjoy a fantasy about waiting in the bedroom as she applies the makeup he gifted before taking her out on the town for a night of drinking and dancing.

This fantasy is vivid.

Next, they go to a steakhouse and he treats it like a real date, except for his hands that find their way inside her under the table as he carries on with normal dinner conversation. When he's not knuckle-deep in her twat he swipes bites of Wagyu off her plate and makes sure to share his risotto. The wine (because this is his fantasy, _of course_ , he ordered wine) makes them both giddy and light. When the waiter takes their plates and asks how they enjoyed everything Kai cleverly tells them the meal, ' _was finger-licking good.'_ Making sure to then wink at Bonster who will blush and look away.

After the wining and dining, he fantasizes about leading her into an alley on their way home and fucking her against a brick wall until she's crying, and all her stunning makeup is ruined before he takes her home to ruin the rest of her.

As he is becoming used to with his girl fantasies will have to suffice for the time being.

 _Soon enough_ he tells himself.

 _Soon enough_ he will have her, and the reality will be inconceivably better than the fantasy.

* * *

The big day draws closer and closer.

Everything important in life was about careful preparation, that's what runs through his mind as he looks over the tools he's been collecting. He made sure to gather these items sporadically over the past several months to avoid ringing any alarms or ending up on any watch lists.

He covered his tracks by paying cash for everything going to stores in different cities. The sedatives were easiest to get since he works with them, obtaining the drugs was as easy as walking into his own office. Kai cannot very well get all the way here to the eleventh hour, only to be arrested for buying rope, chloroform, and shoe covers in one Amazon order, now can he?

Organizing the materials in his non-descript black messenger bag leaves him feeling more excited than ever, he is basically glowing and there's a sinful tingling in his veins. He could not be more prepared if he tried and he feels zero nervousness. Every detail has been accounted for down to a tee, there is no angle he has failed to consider. The needles rest at the top of the bag just in case things go to shit, though he doesn't expect they will.

His hard work is done and soon he will reap the rewards for his effort.

Demon is dead and gone, never to darken a doorstep ever again. Elena is probably heartbroken, she's also probably the only one who misses him. It makes the whole thing that much sweeter. Killing Damon and hurting Elena is the best sort of 'two birds, one stone' deal he can ask for. He hopes she's so distraught she leaves Bonnie alone, completely swallowed by her own ego over her shitty relationship. That's cosmic punishment if he's ever seen it.

The hardest part is behind him; it was always best to take care of the messiest parts of preparation first. He still hasn't planned the details of the napping, but it will come to him, he's sure. Now that he's cleared the way. All that matters is Bonnie will soon be his. As thrilling as the chase is, he's tired.

He wants her all to himself. No more sniffing. No more hunting.

Just him and Bonnie; just him and his prey. The dance is almost over. The meal is almost ready, and the table is almost set.

* * *

_Oh, can't you see_

_You belong to me_

_How my poor heart aches_

_With every step you take..._

_Every move you make..._

_Every smile you fake..._

_I'll be watching you_

_(Every Breath You Take, The Police)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Kai is really zeroing in on our girl, huh? And poor Bonnie just won't know what hit her. What's a girl to do?
> 
> This chap is especially fun because Lucas and Olivia even make an appearance. They were actually a wayyyy late addition, but it worked, I think. No Bonnie though, sorry. Even though she's not featured too heavily directly she's still the main focus...cus...stalking. From Kai's POV it's all Bonnie, all the time.
> 
> Also, as usual, I've made a playlist for this fic, I'll share it in the epilogue. In the meantime, I wanted to share this excerpt from a song by Ludo that is featured. If you've read Love Me Dead (shameless self-promo) then you'll know I think they're great for BK inspo. The song is called The Horror of Our Love.
> 
> This is exactly the vibe I am going for here:
> 
> I'm a killer, cold and wrathful  
> Silent sleeper, I've been inside your bedroom  
> I've murdered half the town  
> Left you love notes on their headstones  
> I'll fill the graveyards until I have you
> 
> Moonlight walking, I smell your softness  
> Carnivorous and lusting to track you down among the pines  
> I want you stuffed into my mouth  
> Hold you down and tear you open, live inside you  
> Love, I'd never hurt you  
> But I'll grind against your bones until our marrows mix  
> I will eat you slowly...
> 
> [Chorus]  
> Oh, the horror of our love  
> Never so much blood pulled through my veins  
> Oh, the horror of our love  
> Never so much blood...


End file.
